Analysis of Middle School Students' Stress and Related Variables

The purpose of this study was to examine the relation of middle school students' stress in relation to certain variables, those of grade, gender, academic achievement, coping behavior and self-concept. The subjects were 574 students selected from 4 middle schools in the Incheon area. The instruments included a stress index, coping behavior questionnaire and self-concept inventory. The statistics used from this data were t-test, one-way ANOVA (Scheff test), correlation analysis and multiple regression analysis. This study showed that middle school students' stress was influenced significantly by the grade, gender and achievement in school. Also, coping behavior and self-concept were influenced significantly by the grade, gender, and achievement in school. Correlation analysis indicated that student's stress and certain coping behavior were postively correlated, especially avoidance coping behavior indicated a higher correlation to students' stress than active coping behavior. The relationship between stress and self-concept indicated a negative high correlation. It was also found that avoidance coping behavior, family self-concept, general self-concept, school and class self-concept, grade and academic achievement were significant predictors of middle school students' stress.